Extension-ladder.



4 APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1913. 1 1 1 2,1 22. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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EXTENSION LADDER.

'IHE NORRIS PE7ERS 60.. PlIOTO-L/!HO., wAsuuvmul M J. DETRIK. EXTENSION LADDER. I APPLICATION FILED vIDBCL 2, 1913.

1, 1 1 2, 1 22', Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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"1-" NORRIS PCYERS CO., PHOTO-LI n10 WASHINUYUN n. (I

- J. DETRIK.

EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1913.

THE NORRIS PEIERS 60.. PHOT0 LITHO,. WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. DETRIK. vEXTENSION- LADDER. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 191a.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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J DETR'IK.

EXTENSION LADDER. APPLICATION FILED DBO. z, 1913, 1 1 1 2 1 22 Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 h. A v 443;"? A6 THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHDIO'LHHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

RVMQLQZZQ J. DETRIK.

EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 2, 1913.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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1111-: NORRIS PETER; 1:0,. PHOTO L IHQ, wAslrlNziroN, I). L.

UNITED STATES rA EN OFFICE.

JOSEPH DETRIK, 0F PRICEID ALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN KOMLOSI, OF PRIGEDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXTENSION-LADDER.

Application filed December 2, 1913. Seria1 No.804,151.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character embodying in its construction, an extensible ladder, and an endless travellng earner comblned with the ladder and equipped with safety devices.

in the nature of belts or pouches to receive persons escaping from the burning building, and for conveying them to a point adjacent to the ground.

A further ob ect of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which the parts shall be so constructed and assembled as to render them adjustable to be raised to reach the windows of buildings of extra height, the arrangement of the parts beng such that, with a small amount of labor, and with readiness and ease, the extra parts necessary to meet an-unexpected contingency, may be brought into use, and. be rendered effective in the shortest possible space of time. a

A further object of the inventlon is to provide an apparatus of the character asstated embodying an extensible ladder, and

means for elevating the same, and an end less carrier provided with safety appliances in the nature of belts or pouches, combined with means operating simultaneously, but independently, to elevate the ladder and drive'the belt or conveyer.

With the above and other objects in view,

as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists, generally stated, in an apparatus ;of the character stated embodying a plurality of hingedly connected ladders, each including two sets of rungs between which latter, and

on each section of the ladder is disposedan:

endless belt or carrier, carrying safety appliances, means being employed for transmitting motion, from a source of power through the series of belts simultaneously with means for elevating the sections of ladder carrying the belts, and for maintaining the extended ladder at the desired height.

In addition, means is provided, whereby as t becomes requisite to lengthen the ladder, the elevating means therefor will be rendered capable of similar extension, so that .within prescribed limits, the ladder may be elevated to reach any desired window in a building.

The invention consists further in the various novel details of construction of an extenslon ladder, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a combined extension ladder and fire escape constructed in accordance with the present invention, the upper portion of the structure having its parts displayed in the position they will assume when the apparatus is used as a fire escape.

2 is a similar View, partly in section, showing the upper portion of the structure having its parts displayed in the position they will assume when the apparatus is used by firemen in playing streams of water upon a burning building. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation. Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the upper portion of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a similar view of a portion of one of the ladders and the endess belt or conveyer. Fig. 7 is a detail view in elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the mechanism for actuating the racks that elevate the ladders. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of a portion of the rack elevating mechanism, Fig.9 is a detail View, in side elevation, showing one means by which two of the elevating racks may be connected.

The base of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 1, comprises two longitudinal sills or beams 1, preferably of metallio eye-beams, connected and braced by a terminal metallic eye-beam 2, of which any preferred number may be employed, thus to provide a frame-work that will not only be rigid in character, but possessing the requisite fire-proof qualities. Depending from the sills 1' are two bearings 3 in which is journaled a shaft a carrying supporting wheels 5 which are arranged at the'front of the frame, and support the ladder at tlns point, the rear ends of the frame being supby a king-bolt 9, a lever 10 secured at one endintermediate of the length of the axle 7 andextending forwardly and provided with, an-upstanding hand grip 1'1, Fig.1,se'rving, as a guiding means for the apparatus when,

being propelled over a street or a road.

14, around which passes a sprocket eha'in15 that engages a sprocket wheel 16 on the, shaft of thewheels 5, and it is through these sprocket wheels I and the chain that motion is imparted to the apparatus from the en- 'gine. It is to be under'st ood, of course, that ries a safety appliance in the nature ;'of a g sca' ping and a second safety appli- I from a building, v

ance26 in'the n'ature of a belt, by which the suitable valve gearing 'will be provided for controlllng the action of the englne, and as this may-be of the usualor any preferred construction, and forms no partof the pres-Z ent invention, illustration thereoffis omitted. I of the essential features of the pre -1 ent invention resides in the novel form of sectional ladder, a detailed view of which is shown'in Figs.'5 and 6. -Iti'sto'be understood that any desired number of sections ,may be employed and that'e'ach'section will: be'a counterpart of the other, so that a de scription ofone will serve for all. As shown in Fig. 5, each section comprises twoexterior sidejbars l7 and four iriteriorsiderails 18, ,19, '20, and 21, the bars and "seriesfof rails, being oonnected and rendered'rigidfby cross braees22,,tl 1at are preferably mortised into,

the'bars 17-, as clearly s ows in Fig. 6,the

pairs of rails 1 8 and 19, and 20 and being connected byrungs 23,1the. rails 18 and 19 with their rungs constituting one ladder and the nails'QO and 21 with their rungs 23 constituting a second ladder, the two Iliaddersbeing spaced apart to form a runwa for an endlesstraveling'belt or 'eonveyer 24,

which may be constructed of any suitable material, such as leather or canvas, 'andfcarpouch or bag 25% receive a person I person maystrap himself or herselfto the belt. Extending through "each ofth'e tw bars of each ladder section adjacent to its l ,upper and lower ends aretransverse shafts 7 he e hi s i, sprocket wheels 28 and 29 respectively, the

27, more clearly shown in Fig. 6, and eachf of at each ,end, carries two pairs of sprocket wheels 29be1ng engaged by sprocket chains 30 that pass around coin J 'plement'al sprocket wheels 29 on the next at their lower ends with sprocket wheels 36 .jcarried by a shaft 37 mounted in standards 38 secured to the base of the structure as 3 shown in Fig. 2.

The motor 12', diagrammatically shown, may be of any type, preferably. one that is drivenby, gasolene, the drive shaft 13 hav-' ing connected to one end as'procket wheel,

jeXteriorly of the bars 17 adjacent their The terminals of the shafts 27 are journale'd in plates 39 arranged meeting ends, and each of these plates carries a shaft40 supporting at its inner end a roller orwheel 41, these wheels being designed tobear against the sprocket chains to prevent anyu'ndue flapping of thebelt. The sprocket wheel 36 is driven by a sprocket chain 42 that passes around a sprocket wheel 58 mounted on a shaft 58", the latter carrying a second sprocket wheel 59 that is'cngag'ed by a sprocketchain 71 that passes around 'a sprocket wheel 73 on a shaft 69, the latter being driven in any suitable manher from the engine, and thus imparts motion 'to the belt. In order to retain the ladder sections rigid, relative to the other when extended, each bar carries on each side'a keeper 43 that is engaged by a latch 44: which may readily be inserted or removed. Supported at one end upon a rod i431 se- "cured in the upper end of the topmost ladfder section is a platform 4-5, the other end of which is supported by adjustablerods 16 {from the ladderto maintain the'platforin in horizontal position irrespective of the inclin'ati'o n'of the ladder. This platform is provided with a railing 17, and with a hinged bottom 18, which when thrown into the position'shown in Figs. 1 "and 5, will permit persons to escape from a building, "either to pass downthe ladders, or'to utilize the endless conveyer, the platform 48 when movedto the position shown in Fig. 2 serving as 'a flooring to permit the fireman to havefa solid baseon which to stand while employing a hose. ,In addition, there is 'a hook'49pr'dvided which'may be secured over h window sill,'or any other projecting 'part of building, thuslto hold the structure in convenientposition to be reach ed by the perfsoiis'de'siring to uses, If desired,'ahd as will generally'be preferred, the bars 17 will be provided with hooks 50 to support th'e hose 'while the fireman is climbing to the platform. g I

Themeans for distendi'ngtheladder sections'tobring theplatform tothe desired height eompiises a 'plur'alityof racks which are adapted tobec'onn'ected so as to utilize the full length ofth'e ladder. As shownin I Fig.2, twoofthe'se racks 51am 5 2 aieconother racks 59 and 60 to be used in an emer gency, being supported by other sockets on the sprocket chain 56. This chain may be manually driven by a crank 61 carried by the shaft of a sprocket chain 57 and oper; ating the latter.

Supported upon the base of the structure is a channeled upright 62 in which a portion of two of the racks is housed, the upper portion of the standard or upright carrying gear wheels 63 and 64, the shaft of the latter having connected with it a series of curvilinear spring arms 65 that bearagainst the back of the topmost rack and serve to hold rack 51 has connected to its upper end two arms 66, and to these are pivotally connected the lower. ends of two arms 67, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the outer sides of the bars 17. The shafts 68 and 69 of the gears 64 and 68 are journaled in uprights 70 supported by the base of the apparatus, the shaft 69 carrying at its terminals, eXteriorly of the standards 70-, two sprocket wheels 71, and interiorly of the standards a gear wheel 72, that meshes with the gear 64; and a sprocket wheel 7 3 that is engaged by a sprocket chain 74 driven directly from the engine. The sprocket wheels 71 are loose onthe shaft 69, but may be held in locked relation thereto by means of pawls 75 secured externally of the standards 70 and arranged to engage with ratchet wheels 7 6 rigid with the sprocket wheels 71. The arrangement of these pawls and ratchet wheels is such that when the engine is operated to lift the rack bars through the gears 63, the sprocket wheels 71 will be fixed with relation to the shaft 69, but when it is desired to lower the racks for the purpose of disposing the ladder sections upon the platform, the pawls will slip over the ratchet wheels for this purpose. Each of these pawls has connected with it a lever 77 (Fig.

1). The object of this lever is to permit the operator tothrow the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheels when so desired.

As will be obvious, some means must be provided whereby the racks shall be held in raised position, and that herein shown consists of a bell crank lever 7 8 is pivotally supported to the uprights 6:2 and has one of its arms arranged to project through an open ing 7 9 in the upright and to engage with the rack, a lever 80 being provided with which connects one end of the rod 81, the other end of which is secured to the bell crank lever. The lever carries a spring pressed latch 8O that is arranged to be rack 80f, thus to lock the bell crank lever relative to the rack.

In operation, assuming that the parts be in the position shown in Fig; 2 and it be desired to extend the ladderto bring the platform into a moreelevated position, the engine will be started and the racks will be raised by the gears 63 until the lower end of the rack 52 has reached a predetermined point. During this action, theendless carrier has also been extended to compensate for the addition in the length of the ladder. The crank 61 is now operated to actuate the sprocket chain 56 and thus bring the next s ucceedingrack 60 into position to be coupled with the rack 52, the same operation :being repeated with regard to the rack 59. It will be understood that when the ladder sections are folded to the position in which two of them are shown in Fig. 2, that the endless carrier will lie in between the latter sectlons, and as this will readily be understood, the belt is omitted in Fig. 2 for clearness of illustration.

It is to be understood of course, that the invention is not to be limited to the number of racks shown, as a greater number than that illustrated may be employed.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that by the apparatus disclosed, that not only may persons be rescued from a burning building, but also that the work of the firemen will be materially assisted, and further that within certain limits, the apparatus may be used in connection with a building of any height. v

I claim:

1. A structure of the class described, comprising a plurality of pivotally-connected ladders, a rack bar connected with the uppermost ladder of the series, means coacting with the rack bar to lift the series of ladders, an endless traveling carrier associated with the series of ladders, and means for imparting motion to the carrier.

2. A structure of the class described, com.-

ithI'OWll into and out of-engagement with a i prising a wheeled platform, a series of pivotally-connected ladders supported thereby, one of which is permanently assembled with the platform, an extensible rack bar connected with one end of the uppermost series of the ladders, means for imparting vertical movement to the rack bar whereby to elevate the seriesof ladders, an endless carrier disposed between the side rails of the ladders, and means for imparting movement to the carrier longitudinally of the ladders.

3. A structure of the class described, com prising a wheeled platform, a series of pivotally-connected ladders disposed upon the platform, one of which is permanently combined therewith, a platform carried by the upper end of the uppermost ladder of the series, means for maintaining the latter platform in horizontal position irrespective of the inclination assumed by the ladder, a rack bar operatively connected With'the latterladder, means-for imparting an upward movement to the rack bar to raise the series the appliance.

4." A structure of the class described, comprising'a wheeled platform, a series of ladders disposed thereon, one of which is permanently connected with the platform, a platform supported by the upper end of the uppermost of the series of ladders, means for adjusting the latter platform relative to the ladder whereby to cause it to maintain a horizontal position irrespective of the inclination of the ladder, means carried by the prising a series of pivotally connected spaced foldable ladders, an endless traveling 'belt interposed between the series and foldable therewith, means for imparting movement to the belt, and means for elevating the ladders independently of the belt driving DIGRIIS.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH DETRIK.

Vvitnesses ALFRED TANZER, ANTHONY PARENT.

i Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington, D. G. 

